henrf champlin



J. CHAMPLIN.

SPIKE.

No. 74,501. Patented Feb. 18 1 868.

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J. HENRY GHAMPLI-N, OF Essex, CONNECTICUT Letters Patent No. 74,501, dated FebruarglB, 1868'.

IMPROVEMENT IN SPIKES.

"130 ALL WHOM IT MAY CONGERN:

Be it known that I,-J. HENRYCKAMPLI'R, of Essex, in the county of Middlesex, and State of Connecticut, have imvented a new Improvementin Spikes and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawingand the letters of reference mark ed thereon, to bea full, clear, and exact,des cription of the some, and which said drawing constitutespart of this specification, and represents a perspective view.

Thenature of my inventionsrclates to an improvementin the construction of spikes, such as are used on railroads, ship-building, and other purposes, and consists in cutting out a portion of the spike' at anygivon distanees apart, on the angle of the same, inclining the slot or notch downward and into the bodyof the spike, so as to leave a sharp point of the edge or angle of the spike below the upper end of the slot, but not to project beyond the line of the spike, as will be hereinafter described.

In order that others skilled in the art may make and use my invention, I will proceed te -describe its construction and operation. I r

' In the drawing, A the spike, provided with a head, B, of any size adapted to the use for which the spike is designed. 'The spike is formed from square metal in t e usual manner, presenting a four-sided spike, the sides at right angles, with the point somewhat sharpened, and at given distances on each angle or corner of the epike'A, slots or notches a a q a are cutj'into the spike, cutting out a part of the spike. .This slot is wider at its upper and outer edge thanat its lower and inner point, where it isv brought to a shart point, and is at an angle of about forty-five degrees with the line or angle of the spike, thus leaving a sharp point, cone-shaped, projecting up above the lower point of the slot, about half an inch or more, according to the size of the spike. The sharp point or'cone thus formed never projects beyond the line of. the angle,-and never enlarges the width of the spike. These points are formed by cutting away relative portions of the spike'directly at the angles orcorners, leaving then, from their position on the spike, is three-sided cone or hook on the angles of the spike, and cannot be inade at any other point or part of the spike. i

The spike thus formed may be driven inthe usual manner; the points or hooks do not prevent its entrance into the wood. The pressure of the spike in entering the wood by the blows of the operator, forces the fibres of the weed out alike on all sides, compressing the same equally at all points afi'ected by the blows; and, when driven to its desired point, in a short time the wood will expand opposite the slots on each angle, and press firmly down and into the slots .01 notches aboveland over the points, catching on them and when 'the wood swells and regains in part its position from which it wasrforced by the driving of the spike, great resistance will be ofl'ered tothe withdrawing of the spike, in proportion to the strength of the fibres of the wood that have filled the slots.

It will be seen that, in spikes made withthe barbs proyecti'ng out from the body of the spike, that they are much harder to drive into the wood than, is.my invention, and,as the spikes with such barbs are driven down into the wood, they will cut the fibres, of the wood into short sections thus weakening the fibres of the wood, and making but little'resistancc on the part of the wood against which they catch, thus destroying the vei-y purpose for which they were intended; V i p V In my invention, the point or hook intended to hold and offer resistance'in being withdrawn, does notprojeet, but is on the same line with the angles or corners of the spike; they ofierno additional resistance in driving, nor do they cut the fibres ofthe wood into short sections, but only force them back uncut by the hooks so that as the wood swells, and'vibratidns are caused by theweight of the train passing, the fibres fall into the slots a a with all the strength of the wood with its uncut fibres,

My spike will be found of great value for railroad purposes, as it will not be liable to wol'klooso by the pressureof the train passing over it, and also for all like purposes, and it is driven'as easily as a plain spike.

I am aware that barbed spikes have been used. I do not claim a barbed spike, but a slotted o'r notched spike,'as above described.

Having thus described my invention, what claim as new, and desire to secure'by Lettersfate'nt, is-

The spike A, constructed with slots of notches a d a a, cut into the body of, the same at its sevcral'angles, substantially as described, and as and for thepnrposes set forth a J. HENRY CHAMPLIN.

Witnesses:

Jenn H. Snuuwsr,

A .*-J. Trams.

Jul 

